


looks can be deceiving

by junxouji



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Childhood Friends, Childhood Sweethearts, Eventual Romance, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Smitten Sehun tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-22 18:38:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11973300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junxouji/pseuds/junxouji
Summary: It all goes back to the days when Sehun mistakenly took Jongin to be a girl.





	looks can be deceiving

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kairaptor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kairaptor/gifts).



Sehun had been utterly head over heels in love with Jongin since they were children.

 

It was one of those inevitable things that really had been out of his control and  _ just _ happened. As sure as the sun rises each morning Sehun was only  _ destined _ to fall for the kind brown eyes of the boy in his primary class.

 

It began muddled. Sehun remembers the shy, timid, and pretty student transferring from another elementary school because of his father getting a new job in a better district. The student had confessed his loves for cute dogs (poodles in specific), fried chicken, and anime. Despite not sharing anything in common, it occurred to lovestruck five year old Oh Sehun; that this person would the centerfold of his life, axis of his orbiting–the person who could make reserved but sweet Sehun fall in love at first sight.

 

Of course, it's not that intense at first. Just a small puppy love that has Sehun giving Jongin his extra snack his mother packed at his request and assisting Jongin in learning the popular games the other kids enjoyed playing. It made him protective and a guardian for the soft spoken new student, never going to allow Jongin to be cornered or bullied by some of the more deplorable kids in their year.

 

Jongin is the reason he ignores the teasing or skips out playing with the other kids because Jongin is too shy to join in yet too thoughtful to ask Sehun to stay with him at the swing sets in case Sehun wants to play kickball with the others.

 

Yet, there is one thing that Sehun misses totally. He hadn't seen it coming.

 

Jongin was a boy.

 

Maybe Sehun is a little naive and just subconsciously ignores Jongin has a male name. He's too focused on Jongin’s long hair, gentle mannerisms, and soft features.  _ Maybe _ because Jongin is certainly prettier than all the girls combined in their year – or any girl Sehun has yet to see. He missed all the signs and never remembered Jongin explicitly being called  _ male _ .

 

It serves as a source of confusion when Jongin asks rather timidly if Sehun will go to the restroom with him. He doesn't think anything of it. Perhaps Jongin is scared of going to the restroom alone because a few students gave him a hard time? He didn't think anything odd or suspicious. Sehun readily agrees happy Jongin is now comfortable enough to request small things from him. He wonders if it's too soon to ask Jongin to come over after their classes and studies to play with Sehun's impressive gaming collections. 

 

Sehun walks side by side until they halt in front of the restrooms. “Here you go,  _ Ni _ .” Sehun says as he gestures for the bathroom. The girl’s bathroom.

 

Jongin pauses slightly. There is confusion written across his features as he scrunched his nose slightly. Yet he doesn't say anything for a long moment trying to process it all. “Are you  _ teasing _ me?”

 

Sehun mirrors his confusion. Teasing?  _ Never _ ! “You had to go to the restroom–” his voice trails off as he gestured again to the  _ girl's  _ restroom sign clearly indicated on the door.

 

Jongin pauses. Bewildered. Uncertain. Sehun did not seem like the sort to make fun of him. Sehun always defended him when others got out of hand or made Jongin uncomfortable which makes it hard to believe Sehun would do anything intentionally to make Jongin look silly. 

 

“Where is the  _ boy's  _ restroom?” Jongin inquires not sure what to do or how to sort out their misunderstanding. He didn't know  _ why _ Sehun was pointing at the girl's just as Sehun didn't know why Jongin wanted to use the boy's.

 

“You can't go into the boy's restroom Jongin! You'll get in trouble.” Sehun insists, “I'll wait for you out here.”

 

Jongin frowns deeper, pout surfacing. “Sehun, you're being mean. I can't go in the girl's! I'm a  _ boy _ .” Jongin might not be the smartest but he knew that at least.

 

Sehun panics. Firstly, Jongin thinks he's being mean. Jongin–his precious Jongin! Then it hits him.  _ Boy _ . Color floods Sehun's fair skin as he stares with new revelation. Jongin, his undying first love, was a male.

 

Jongin seems to understand too because he looks humiliated and slightly begrudgingly bitter. He curses his mother and older sisters for insisting he keep his hair long despite his protests.

 

“You thought I was a  _ girl _ .” Jongin accuses.

 

Sehun cannot deny it. His face stays red and he nods sheepishly.

 

“You won't want to be my friend now.” Jongin laments quietly, eyes flickering uncertainly to Sehun.

 

Sehun shakes his head animatedly. Boy or girl Jongin was still  _ Jongin _ . He was easily the most gorgeous person Sehun had ever laid eyes on. It didn't change Jongin was both kind and sweet. It didn't change anything as far as Sehun was concerned other than how slumber parties were in the near future.

 

“You're still my best friend.  _ Always _ .” Sehun promises, “I'll show you the boys.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


It's occasionally brought up in conversation. Especially when Jongin is being petty.

 

Their friendship as predicted followed into later grades and all the way to university. Sehun's feelings only grew with the years and ages until finally he has enough nerve to confess to Jongin on his twentieth birthday – long overdue and predicted by their closest friends.

 

Jongin's first comment is merely, “You  _ are  _ aware I'm a boy.” Followed by a rare mischievous smile gracing his impossibly handsome face.

 

Sehun can only sputter indignantly because he has laid his heart out on the table and Jongin manages to still hold a grudge about a harmless  _ misunderstanding _ . Jongin might be gentle as fuck and sweet as a newborn pup but he was undoubtedly the king of petty.

 

“I  _ know _ you're male  _ Ni  _ but that's not the issue here. The issue is me liking you more than a best friend should  _ despite _ you being male.”

 

“How is that an issue so suddenly? You followed me around since elementary school. If it was going to be an issue we wouldn't have been friends for over like ten years.” Jongin says softly, “You don't think I'm suddenly finding out? Sehun–you took me to prom. You rejected Sooyoung’s confession. You open doors for me. You've  _ always _ been there.”

 

Sehun stares. “You  _ knew _ .”

 

“Not for a long time but I had my suspicions. Baekhyun confirmed.” Jongin admits sheepishly, “I didn't say anything because I thought you might not want to ever act on it. Because we both know how your parents are. My sisters had an ongoing bet on how long it'd take you to say something to me.”

 

Sehun is floored. He makes a mental note to kill Baekhyun but Jongin doesn't seem disgusted. Hell, he isn't even surprised. That takes some of the uncomfortable pressure off his shoulders. “ _ So _ ?” He presses out, “You didn't answer me.”

 

“You didn't ask me any question, Sehun.” Jongin bites back teasingly smile reassuring.

 

“I- well, would you be my boyfriend?”

 

Jongin smiles faintly. “You're so  _ dumb _ . I'd love to be your boyfriend. But promise me it won't change the fact you're always going to be my best friend too.”

 

Sehun is frozen. Overjoyed. In disbelief. Consumed with such a blinding blissful happiness. He wants to cry but he knows Jongin would never let him live it down. He keeps it together -  _ barely _ . 

 

“Of course.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The transition from long term best friends to boyfriends isn't the easiest. The friend zone had been such a major default in their relationship that it's hard to break some habits.

 

Sehun had always loved skinship but he finds it harder to initiate now that he knows Jongin likes him back. He's  _ shy _ for god’s sake.

 

Jealousy is a side effect. He isn't insecure because he knows Jongin better than anyone else yet he cannot get used to girls flirting with Jongin so shamelessly. Jongin often teases him about it promising that there isn't a thing to worry about.

 

Some bumps are their first few kisses when Jongin is so incredibly shy he turns his head every time their lips linger too long. At first Sehun is insecure that maybe Jongin doesn't feel into it because he's a guy but  _ no _ Jongin confesses his heart just feels too excited. Sehun had done all the dating in their youth so Jongin feels inexperienced and uncertain of the smallest things. But he eases up to it, warming sweetly against Sehun's mouth until Jongin is the one stealing kisses here and there.

 

There are things he learns he hadn't known before. Jongin prefers cuddling or walking their dogs together over dates in busy places. They spent so many weekends cuddled watching reruns of animes Sehun never really cared for because he has a particular like for how frequently Jongin dozed off on his shoulders. Their study dates in the university library are far from glamorous and end up kissing behind bookshelves. Their closest friends and family know yet their approval never mattered to Sehun yet he knows it bugs Jongin that Sehun's parents are far from accepting. He tries to soothe it over as blind prejudice. Jongin's swollen eyes and tearful apologies for not being someone Sehun can show proudly to his parents nearly breaks his heart.

 

Their first time is when they move in together to optimize their couple time when their university loads are heavy to have many dates. Instead, they opt for roommating since neither questioned their ability to do so cohesively. They have their own rooms for privacy yet Jongin always ends up in Sehun's. (He isn't complaining.) 

 

It ends up with Jongin coming from the shower so timidly that Sehun knows something's up when Jongin merely flicks off the lights and slides into the bed dropping the towel. Jongin's kisses are incredibly sweet and alluring, his touches hesitant as if waiting for permission, and his voice broken and ragged when Sehun touches in the right places.

 

It is a bit awkward and a few mishaps but it's nothing short of perfect. It solidifies everything together perfectly. Their minds had always been linked and their bodies as well. Sehun can say every aspect of their relationship is absolutely heaven sent. There is  _ nothing  _ Sehun could request right about now other than their lives to be more manageable so they can have time for cute dates – but even that is just a little self indulgent because  _ everything  _ of Jongin is already  _ his _ .

 

What surprises Sehun most is how  _ comfortable  _ loving Jongin is. They work around each other and compliment each other so magically. It's not overwhelming, painful, or hard. Sometimes his heart feels like it's going to explode when Jongin looks over smiling at him and he thinks  _ wow _ this boy is  _ his _ . Other than that, it's not the type of explosive the romance novels often describe. It's effortless and Sehun has a healthy appreciation for that. It's knowing someone well, comfortable with your flaws around them, and knowing that they're genuinely there for you. It's security, honesty, and sincere affection. The butterflies aren't hurricanes, the kisses aren't dizzying, and the confessions of love aren't overly dramatic. It's just easy and smooth, an underrated kind of love.

 

Jongin is everything that Sehun could seek in a partner. He get the jackpot by falling in love with Jongin those many years before. It's never been a question of whether someone would come  _ after _ Jongin because frankly it isn't possible. Sehun has his taste of sunshine right under his tongue and isn't greedy to desire  _ more _ than Jongin's smile, kisses, and returned feelings on a daily basis. He never really considered it  _ settling  _ or not having high standards it's merely Jongin fits everything so perfectly Sehun isn't foolish to want more.

 

He can think back to the first time he saw Jongin and his notorious mistake of misgendering him. If only child Sehun knew the impact of such a silly mistake, of such an innocent puppy love and admiration, and a lifelong friendship would result in such a marvelous relationship. Baby Hun certainly had no idea he would stumble into  _ perfection _ , into the pivotal source of happiness and gratitude in his life, and  _ lord _ – that he'd fall irrevocably in love with an angel who had descended to earth in the form of such an unwarranted gift that Jongin had become since day one.

 

Man, some people just got incredibly lucky. Or so Sehun liked to think.

 

(Jongin would like to say he was not lucky but so amazingly deserving.)


End file.
